Trip duration drives shift in travel network structure with implications for the predictability of spatial disease spread

Human travel is one of the primary drivers of infectious disease spread. Models of travel are often used that assume the amount of travel to a specific destination decreases as cost of travel increases with higher travel volumes to more populated destinations. Trip duration, the length of time spent in a destination, can also impact travel patterns. We investigated the spatial patterns of travel conditioned on trip duration and find distinct differences between short and long duration trips. In short-trip duration travel networks, trips are skewed towards urban destinations, compared with long-trip duration networks where travel is more evenly spread among locations. Using gravity models to inform connectivity patterns in simulations of disease transmission, we show that pathogens with shorter generation times exhibit initial patterns of spatial propagation that are more predictable among urban locations. Further, pathogens with a longer generation time have more diffusive patterns of spatial spread reflecting more unpredictable disease dynamics.

Time slows down on a crowded train

Numerosity, complexity and affect are among factors known to dilate perceived time. While such objective and subjective factors are usually tested in isolation with simple stimuli in the lab, here we examined the perceived passage of time in the ecology of daily social life: crowded public transit. Higher crowding level denotes a higher numerosity along with increased negative affect. Accordingly, we hypothesized that crowding lengthens subjective trip duration. Participants (N=41) experienced short (between 1 to 2 minutes) immersive subway trips using Virtual Reality (VR). Each individual experienced multiple virtual trips with different crowding levels. After each trip, they were asked to estimate the trip duration and rate its affective pleasantness. Presence of one additional person per square meter of the train significantly increased perceived travel time by an average of 1.8 seconds. Rather than objective factors, this effect was mediated by subjective negative feelings induced by crowding. Analysis of cardiac data also revealed the slope of change in heart rate during a trip as a physiological source of perceived travel time, independent of the crowding level. This study is an example of bringing basic psychological and physiological findings into an ecologically valid setting using VR technology. Findings have broader implications for the effects of disliking social crowding on our daily perceptions, which is likely more pronounced during or even after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Time slows down on a crowded train

Numerosity, complexity and affect are among factors known to dilate perceived time. While such objective and subjective factors are usually tested in isolation with simple stimuli in the lab, here we examined the perceived passage of time in the ecology of daily social life: crowded public transit. Higher crowding level denotes a higher numerosity along with increased negative affect. Accordingly, we hypothesized that crowding lengthens subjective trip duration. Participants (N=41) experienced short (between 1 to 2 minutes) immersive subway trips using Virtual Reality (VR). Each individual experienced multiple virtual trips with different crowding levels. After each trip, they were asked to estimate the trip duration and rate its affective pleasantness. Presence of one additional person per square meter of the train significantly increased perceived travel time by an average of 1.8 seconds. Rather than objective factors, this effect was mediated by subjective negative feelings induced by crowding. Analysis of cardiac data also revealed the slope of change in heart rate during a trip as a physiological source of perceived travel time, independent of the crowding level. This study is an example of bringing basic psychological and physiological findings into an ecologically valid setting using VR technology. Findings have broader implications for the effects of disliking social crowding on our daily perceptions, which is likely more pronounced during or even after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Responses of Manx Shearwaters to Handicapping and Its Implications for the Coordination of Care

Seabirds care for their offspring in remote breeding colonies where foraging sites are distant and may be unpredictable, and where chicks are left unaccompanied for extended periods during their parents’ foraging trips, leaving them vulnerable to predation or starvation. One way to mitigate this risk is for individuals to coordinate parenting duties with their partner. Many biparental and cooperatively breeding species are now known to coordinate their care, though the mechanisms underlying this are not well understood. In Manx shearwaters (Puffinus puffinus), both parents alternate shifts of incubation in a coordinated manner. To resolve which processes may underlie this routine, we imposed a wing-loading handicap on parents to reduce their foraging efficiency, forcing them to choose between an extended foraging trip or to return to the nest before their condition has recovered to optimal levels. We found that handicapped parents took significantly longer trips than normal, to which their partner responded by lengthening their incubation shift, suggesting shift durations are not pre-determined. However, the duration of foraging trips and the mass at which foraging birds returned to the nest appeared to be mediated by the condition of the partner. These results suggest that while foraging trip duration is largely driven by the need for the foraging bird to recoup its own condition losses, information-transfer between the parents may facilitate a more cooperative mechanism whereby the decisions made by foraging birds still account for the condition of their partner.

Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Elderly Public Transport Mode Preference

The elderly population is increasing rapidly. Understanding travel behaviour for this group of commuters (in terms of the trip purpose and travel time) is necessary for future transport planning. Many researchers are working on travel’s spatial and temporal analysis to provide operational decision making and transport network planning. This research study’s primary purpose is to identify the influence of trip duration (using public transport), time of the day (usage of public transport), and public transport (PT) accessibility over public transport mode preference by elderly (over 65 years of age) commuters. The methodology of this study is divided into two parts as spatial analysis and temporal analysis. The research identified the dependency of trip duration, time of the day, geographical areas, and PT access over transport mode preference of elderly. The temporal study shows that transport mode preference can vary depending on trip purposes. However, for specific trip durations and times of the day, the elderly sometimes choose PT as a mobility mode. For instance, on shopping trips between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m., the elderly have a greater possibility of choosing public transport over private vehicles. Moreover, the results show the public transport mode preference based on different times of the day and trip purposes. Urban and transport planner can use the results to modify/plan public transport schedule, which can be easily accessible by the elderly population.